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Family Of Sheffield Man Killed By Asbestos Cancer In Search For Answers Regarding His Death

21.04.2020

Appeal For Information On Working Conditions At Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Power Stations

The family of a father-of-four from Sheffield who died of asbestos-related cancer is calling on his former workmates to establish how he developed the disease.

The family is making the plea ahead of this year’s Workers’ Memorial Day on Tuesday 28 April.

Eric Davis died aged 75, around a year after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a terminal cancer linked with exposure to asbestos often decades previously.

Before he died, Eric, of Southey Green, instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his illness and whether it was linked to his work history.

Now, with his family continuing the search for answers in his memory, the legal experts are seeking more information on the conditions Eric would have faced while working at power stations across the region including Ferrybridge, Drax and Thorpe Marsh in Doncaster.

Expert Opinion

“This case is similar to a huge number of others we are involved in, as it revolves around an individual who died of asbestos-related disease seemingly many years after exposure to the material took place.

Eric’s family remain devastated by their loss and continue to hold many questions regarding how he came to develop mesothelioma.

While sadly it’s too late for Eric, his family is determined to honour his memory by establishing the facts he was unable to share before his death. Therefore, we would be hugely grateful to anyone who could come forward and shed light on the conditions he may have faced during his career. Any information could genuinely make a big difference.” Nick Woods - Associate Solicitor

Eric, who married Jeanette on 18 March 1967 in Sheffield, worked for the industrial painting firm J D Tighe Ltd between 1972 and 1980.

He later went into the licensed trade and was landlord of two pubs on Cricket Inn Road, including the Belle Vue Hotel from 1990 to 2003 and The Wybourn from 2003 to 2011 before retiring.

Prior to his death, Eric, a father of four, told Irwin Mitchell how his work for J D Tighe involved working with a team at various power stations across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. He specifically recalled being involved in jobs at sites ranging from Thorpe Marsh, Cottam and West Burton to High Marnham, Ferrybridge and Drax.

He added that a significant amount of his time was spent painting pipework, with this meaning he would also have to paint over any asbestos lagging on them. He remembered how it was a dusty job, particularly as he would have to clean the surface of the insulation with a wire hand brush before applying any paint.

Eric, whose hobbies included swimming, walking and snooker, started experiencing symptoms in 2016. Following tests, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma and died in September 2017.

The family is making the appeal ahead of Workers’ Memorial Day on Tuesday, 28 April, a day to ‘remember the dead and to fight for the living’ by paying respects to those who have died as a result of their employment. The day campaigns to improve health and safety standards in the workplace, and increase the protection in place for employees.

Jeanette, 76, said: “It is hard to believe that it is more than two years since Eric died. We all still miss him so much every day.

“It was horrible to see Eric towards the end of his life and how the cancer affected him. He had always been fit and healthy and very active.

“Coming to terms with his death has been made harder by a lack of answers regarding how he developed mesothelioma, so we would be hugely grateful to anyone who could help us.”